"Those with talent who naturalise today can easily leave the country of adoption for greener pasture tomorrow; it is what these developed countries do to keep them there that really matters.

Between the hard-working stateless man who has spent much of his life toiling on Malaysian soil and the corrupt politician who continues to squander our national wealth, it does not take a genius to distinguish who is the real patriot." By Josh Hong in Malaysiakini

VISITORS

Ko Mya Aye

Burmese Muslim

(88 Students Group Leader)

“So long as the people do not care to exercise their freedom, those who wish to tyrannise will do so; for tyrants are active and ardent, and will devote themselves in the name of any number of gods, religious and otherwise, to put shackles upon sleeping men.”

People’s views on Ko Mya Aye

In BURMA DIGEST year-end poll for “Politician of the Year 2006 Burma”, new leader of 8888 generation pro-democracy student activists in Burma Ko Mya Aye was deservedly overwhelmingly elected as the Politician of the year.Here below is some interesting quotes from remarkable remarks made by our readers on Ko Mya Aye.

¨SPDC fears 88 generation student leaders most and they can succeed in bringing Burma to democracy.

¨88 generation student leaders led a wide campaign for a signature petition to release all political prisoners. That campaign was a very amazing success after the 8888 People Uprising in 1988. In spite of the SPDC junta’s lawless authority to its own people, they did it very strategically, leading a possible path to democracy now and forever.

¨He is more organized and gives truthful message to the people of Burma where Burmese people didn’t know how to show their democracy movement peacefully.

¨I am very exciting of their works for people. Now, many students from inside who are studying at different university joined hands with 88 GSG and are working together for democracy movements and to free political prisoners. I liked his speeches with media……

¨Ko Mya Aye and 88 GSG (inside Burma; people from inside supported them and join with them as their voice of truth.

¨The most interesting political group 2006 for Burma is Ko Mya Aye and 8888 Generation Students Group.

¨They, 8888 generation students, are leading towards democracy movement in Burma and stimulate and try to develop human …..Their have perseverance, tolerance…

¨During the 8888 uprising they had successfully lead the people’s uprising causing the downfall of three successive governments of General Ne Win, Sein Lwin and Dr Maung Maung.

¨When you look through the events this year- petition and white expression campaigns that he and his group organized inside Burma showed full commitment and bravery of them, more importantly their moves inspired all pro-democracy activists and people of Burma.

¨He took over all the responsibilities after Min Ko Naing, Pyone Cho, MinZaYa, Htay Kywel and Ko Ko Gyi were arrested. I like his speeches in Media; it made us wake up to involve in Freeing up Burma.

¨He is a good leader of us after Min Ko Naing. We support him.¨Greatest generation of Burma after independent heroes

¨We are new generations, they are model for us.

¨I support him. I like his speeches with media; it encourages people to fight for truth and against unlawful military rule.

¨The student activists have been sacrificing their lives endlessly. They are national heroes.

¨they show their desire for democracy without fear and people from inside were very interested of their work for democracy movements

¨I like his speeches which are very exciting for our people. He is the one who voice out for people through media without fearing of SPDC.

¨His speeches make me keen to involve for democracy movements and I really support him and his friends

¨He suffers the same as people suffer.

¨He never gives up fighting for truth. I like his speeches.

¨I like his personalities, he did things right and he encourages people to express the truth.

¨We need a leader like Ko Mya Aye after Min-Ko-Naing was arrested

¨I am surprised by his courage and we need him for the future of Burma.

¨He is the second “Min-Ko-Naing”

¨He who speaks out for our people. He is the one who respects his “Ye baw Ye bat” inside Burma.

¨We like him because of his work for people.

¨He courageously express his view of truth and he encourages people not to fear of expressing truth

¨He is a Hero after Min-Ko-Naing.

¨He is a good leader and fighter for truth.

¨I could not work for my country people like him. I admired him. I am strongly vote him for the most interesting political personality 2006 for our country.

¨I would like to vote for him. Although I don’t know him in person, I listened his speeches in media. It made me very excited and felt like suffering same as him.

Junta pins democracy activists to the wall

April 6, 2007 – Pro democracy activists in Burma are slowly and steadily being pushed to the wall by the military junta which has stepped up restrictions and suppression both in economic and social terms, political dissidents in Rangoon said.

The 88 generation students, a group of pro-democracy activists, in a statement yesterday said, the junta, which grabbed power in 1988, after brutally suppressing student and civil protestors, despite their promise to install a democratic government, has continually suppressed political dissidence.

“In reality, however, those who are trying to restore democracy are marginalized from others as political activists, and have consequently become victims of oppression against the free practice of their economic and social rights,” the statement said.

The 88 generation students issued the statement following the junta’s order to shut-down a business venture run by the family of a former political prisoner and a second-rung leader of the 88 generation student – Ko Mya Aye.

On March 30, the municipal authorities in Rangoon ordered the closure of the Rangoon-Mandalay Thamadi Carrier Service headed by Maung Maung Aung, a younger brother of Mya Aye.

A letter from the municipality directed the office to be closed and informed the authorities to cancel the license to operate or action would be taken.While no reasons were given as to why the order was passed, activists viewed it as an attempt by the junta to muffle the voices of dissidence.Nyan Win, the spokesperson of Burma’s main political opposition party – National League for Democracy, said, “I agree with what the students said in the statement. It is not only the students who are targeted but also other political activists. Doctors have had their license withheld, and business ventures are being close-down.”

Speaking to the BBC, 88 Generation student leader Ko Mya Aye – one of the petition’s organisers – said they were seeking a peaceful political transformation in Burma and encouraging the people to participate.

We will continue with peaceful and legal means to help achieve national reconciliation in Burma

Ko Mya Aye

“We will continue with peaceful and legal means to help achieve national reconciliation in Burma”, says Ko Mya Aye who is one of the leading members of 88 Generation Students group.

Mya Aye, a student leader during the 1988 uprising, said in an interview from Burma that the three men, with whom he had been meeting regularly, hadn’t committed any crimes and were in fact being treated well in detention.

“We talk solely about the paths to national reconciliation-how to bring it about how to rebuild our country. We didn’t commit any crimes,” Mya Aye said.

Call for reconciliation

“When they were under detention, they were called in a number of times and asked about their views and convictions—I think that’s what is happening now,” he said. “We are closely monitoring the situation and will contact the authorities as necessary.”

“We believe only in national reconciliation. We don’t want to hurt anyone or favor anyone. The basic principles we hold are that any solution should be based on the results of the 1990 general election, on dialogue, democracy, and human rights,” he said.

“Our spirit is our only defense, and if they come to detain us we will just have to face it.”

Our spirit is our only defense, and if they come to detain us we will just have to face it.

Mya Aye, student leader in 1988 uprising

In Washington, the U.S. State Department said it was “deeply troubled” by the reported detentions and called on the ruling junta, the State Peace and Development Council (SPDC), to release them immediately and unconditionally.

“Our spirit is our only defense, and if they come to detain us we will just have to face it.”

Our spirit is our only defense, and if they come to detain us we will just have to face it.

Mya Aye, student leader in 1988 uprising

Original reporting by RFA’s Burmese service. Additional reporting by Richard Finney. Produced in English by Luisetta Mudie and Sarah Jackson-Han

88 students call for agreement on reforms

June 28, 2007 (DVB)—The 88 Generation Students today called on the Burmese government and opposition actors to cooperate with each other over political reforms and to engage in genuine dialogue.

In a statement, the student group said that the National League for Democracy, the winners of the 1990 election, the State Peace and Development Council and ethnic minority leaders needed to work together on Burma’s new constitution.

“A friendly political society where all the issues of disagreements and suspicions can be raised, discussed, compromised and made clear in independence and in honesty is essential,” the 88 Generation Students statement said.

“We, the 88 Generation Students, would like to urge the Tatmadaw government to create such a political society and that the National League for Democracy and all the ethnic parties to put effort into making this good political society possible.”

Former student leader Ko Mya Aye said the holding of the final session of the constitution-drafting National Convention next month provided the government, the opposition and ethnic minority groups with an opportunity to cooperate.

He also said that the 88 Generation Students group believed that as the final session of the National Convention will focus on the amendment procedures and revisions of the current constitutional draft it dialogue was now essential.

“We hope a good situation comes out of it . . . This constitution will look significantly better if the National League for Democracy, whose representatives have won a lot of seats in the 1990 elections, and all the ethnic representatives had a chance to participate in creating it,” Ko Mya Aye said.

“Dialogue is essential if this is to happen . . . People should not ignore this . . . If we do, our country will go under this dark cloud of extreme chaos. We cannot let this happen. Dialogueshould be initiated whenever and wherever possible,” he said.

On 22 August 2007, a rare public protest over a sharp rise in fuel prices led to a wave arrests by the Burmese junta. Those arrested included the senior leadership of the 88 Generation Students group as well as members of other student and civil advocacy groups.Hundreds of demonstrators had taken to the streets to express their anger at the surprise increase in fuel prices. Natural gas prices have risen 500% and petrol and diesel prices have almost doubled, according to the Guardian. The rise has hit poor labourers particularly hard, swallowing up to half of their daily income.

The 88 Generation Students group is an organisation synonymous with the long struggle for democracy in military-ruled Burma and take their name from a 1988 student-led uprising crushed by the military. In a rare announcement in all state-run newspapers, the junta said that the dissidents were arrested for undermining the peace and security of the state, according to The Epoch Times.

Front Line previously wrote to the Burmese Government on 27 August 2007 expressing concern about the arrest and detention of Paw U Tun, Ko Ko Gyi, Pyone Cho, and Min Zeyar.All 14 human rights defenders were arrested by police officials on the eve of a major protest in Yangon on 22 August 2007.

No warrants were produced for the arrests and according to an article published in the state-run newspaper New Light of Myanmar they will be charged under Law 5/96, which provides for up to 20 years in prison, for their involvement in “acts undermining the efforts to successfully carry out peaceful transfer of state power and facilitate the proceedings of the National Convention.” Following the arrests, members of the security forces allegedly searched the homes of the afore-mentioned individuals and confiscated documents and compact discs. Reports claim that they were detained at Kyaikkasan Detention Centre before being transferred to the notorious Insein prison outside Yangon where they may be at risk of torture, including beatings and electric shocks.

88-Generation Student leaders including Ko Mya Aye won the Politicians of the year 2006 for Burma, awarded by Burma Digest.

During the 8888 uprising they had successfully lead the people’s uprising causing the downfall of three successive governments of General Ne Win, Sein Lwin and Dr Maung Maung.

1.The whole world know that the 88 Generation Students have been relentlessly calling peacefully for the non-violent ways of resistance.

2.They are advocating for national reconciliation and

3.even claimed openly that they could forgive and forget every thing even the imprisonment and injustices done on them.

4.Their only fault is they are asking for a peaceful dialogue and pressing for the democracy, human rights and individual freedom.

The politician of the year is a person who has led the people in the most significant and most important political movement during the year.

The most significant and most important political movement during this year is the White-coloured people power movement signifying people’s innocent and peaceful desire to get freedom, democracy and human-rights. And it was led by new generation student leaders.

So now thousands of readers of BURMA DIGEST have overwhelmingly voted new generation student leader Ko Mya Aye as The Politician of the Year 2006 Burma!

Final Voting Results

(validated at two decimal points)

* Only one vote from one IP address is counted.

¨Ko Mya Aye 21.52%

¨Daw Aung San Suu Kyi 18.83%

¨8888 students 9.97%

¨Ko Min Ko Naing 9.07%

¨Nurul Islam 3.73%

¨Dr. Cynthia Maung 3.69%

¨Snr. Gen. Than Shwe 3.16%

¨Sao Yawd Serk 3.12%

¨U Aye Thar Aung 2.79%

¨Dr. Nay Win Maung 2.59%

¨Su Su New 2.27%

¨U Maung Sein 2.21%

¨U Win Tin 1.83%

¨U Maung Maung (NCUB) 1.80%

¨Nan Charm Tong 1.78%

¨Ko Jimmy 1.75%

¨Karen National Union & Saw Bo Mya 1.55%

¨U Myint Aye (Human-rights Defender) 1.45%

¨John Bolton 1.35%

¨Nan Ohn Hla (NLD) 0.25%

¨Daw Nan Khin Hla Myint (NLD) 0.15%

¨Ludu U Sein Win 1.10%

¨Ko Thet Win Aung 0.98%

¨Ko Ko Gyi 0.85%

¨Dr. Thaung Htun 0.75%

¨Ko Aung Din 0.65%

¨Ko Htay Kywe 0.54%

¨Ko Min Zeya 0.46%

¨Zoya Phan 0.35%

¨Ma Phyu Phyu Thein (HIV NGO) 0.23%

¨Ko Tun Tun (political activist) 0.17%

¨Gen. Maung Aye 0.05%

Multiple votes from a single IP address are discarded. One IP address, one vote only.

Although I was in the Editorial team I voted for the whole team of 88-Generation Student leaders and never had the access or had influence the results. Please see the following article which I wrote as a vote.

There is precedence to giving out an award to an organization for the award initially or usually meant for a person e.g. Noble Peace Prizes and Times magazine’s “man of the year” awarded to organizations.

Therefore, I hereby wish to nominate 88-Generation Student leaders for the Politicians of the year 2006 for Burma. During the 8888 uprising the had successfully lead the people’s uprising causing the downfall of three successive governments of General Ne Win, Sein Lwin and Dr Maung Maung.

Paw Oo Tun was a 3rd year zoology student in Rangoon University in 1988. He was a prominent leader in the 8888 people’s uprising. His nom de plume is Min Ko Naing or in English Conqueror of King! 1988 Student uprising started with the death of 2 RIT or Rangoon Institute of Technology students Ko Phone Maw and Ko Soe Naing on 13 March 1988.

In a 1988 speech, the fiery student leader said: “If we want to enjoy the same rights as people in other countries, we have to be disciplined, united and brave enough to stand up to the dictators,” according to Amnesty.

Min Ko Naing was arrested on 23 March 1989, sentenced to 20 years in December 1991, which was later commuted to 10 years. He was not released after completing his sentence in 1999. Moe The Zun, Ko Ko Gyi, Jimmy, Min Zayar, Pyone Cho and Htay Kywe are prominent leaders of 88-Generation Students group. Min Ko Naing was freed in Nov 2004. Immediately after his release, he had two interviews with the BBC and the RFA or Radio Free Asia.

Ko Min Ko Naing was only free for 11 months after a 16 year term in the Akyab prison; Ko Ko Gyi was released in March 2005 after nearly 14 years imprisonment.The SPDC Junta rearrested the 88 Generation Student leaders Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi and Htay Kywe on September 27 and Min Zayar and Pyone Cho on September 30, 2006. The arresting law enforcement persons told the student leaders and their family members that the top generals wanted to see them for discussions.

In many civilized countries that practice Rule of Just Laws, the arresting authorities must tell the person why they were arrested, the reason for their arrest, under which Section of the Law and may need to show the arrest warrant.

If any thing wrong or even if the warrant is technically defective they could be released with the Habeas corpus application at the respective court of law. Actually,

Human Rights and individual freedom covers all the aspects of humans_

All the citizens must enjoy the Freedom from arbitrary arrest, detention, and torture like this re-arrest of the 88 Generation Student leaders.

All individuals are “innocent until proven otherwise”

At the press conference, the SPDC falsely accused that they had detained the student leaders for questioning related to terrorist attacks and for the financial aid received from the foreign embassies. SPDC claimed that they have to arrest in order to prevent internal unrest and instability The embassies had denied the accusation of given any financial support and the whole world knew that the 88 Generation Students are not terrorists at all. If SPDC could not prove their ridiculous accusations, their international credibility and dignity would go down the drain further more.

1. The whole world know that the 88 Generation Students have been relentlessly calling peacefully for the non-violent ways of resistance.

2. They are advocating for national reconciliation and

3. even claimed openly that they could forgive and forget every thing even the imprisonment and injustices done on them.

4. Their only fault is they are asking for a peaceful dialogue and pressing for the democracy, human rights and individual freedom.

Min Ko Naing and his colleagues were slowly reactivating Burmese People for a political awareness and taking the leader role from the senile and inactive NLD leaders. Although they had suffered a lot in the jails for a long time, they are not scared and started their political activities again. They organized the 18th anniversary of the 1988 uprising in August this year where few thousands of people dare to attend. They requested the military leaders to start a dialogue with the opposition and ethnic leaders instead of continuing the National Convention.

The top leaders were arrested on 27th June 2006 on the 18th anniversary of the founding of the National League for Democracy.

On the 02nd October the remaining 88 Generation Students group started

the first-ever-public- campaign against the SPDC

and gathered signatures for a petition calling for the release of political prisoners, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

More than half a million people sign the petition although they were harassed by SPDC Kyant Phuts and their thugs. The signatures were later presented to the UN.

Later they organized

“White Expression”

requesting the people to wear white clothes to protest the SPDC. It was continued until the 44th birthday of Ko Min Ko Naing on 18 October.

On the 29th October, they started a third campaign,

called “Multi Religious Prayer Campaign,”

and requested the people to wear white clothing and hold candlelight vigils and prayers in temples, churches and mosques.

“Burmese people have to stay away from politics, because the government has kept them out. They are always looking for a way to participate in politics, so that is why we are trying to involve them.”

So the 88 Generation Student Group and Leaders are the prime movers and shakers of Burma Politics in 2006.

Campaigners and relatives said among those arrested were Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi, Ko Mya Aye, Ko Yin Htun and Ko Jimmy, leaders of a 1988 democracy movement that was crushed by the regime.

Min Ko Naing, whose name means “Conqueror of Kings” and who was released last year after 15 years in jail, is probably the best-known activist after Aung San Suu Kyi. She remains under house arrest, having spent nearly 17 years imprisoned.

“Military intelligence and government intelligence seized their houses and searched their houses,” another dissident, Htay Kywe, who escaped, said from neighbouring Thailand.Despite the arrests, reports from Burma said campaigners again took to the streets yesterday to protest against the government’s recent increase in fuel prices.

Niemoller said:

“In Germany they (the Nazis) came first for the Communists

and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.

“Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics and I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me, and by that time no one was left to speak up for me”.

Martin Niemoller, in his masterpiece, “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich – A history of Nazi Germany” (New York, Touchstone, 1990; first published in 1959)

I believe that Ko Mya Aye is a better Muslim than most of us who prays five times a day etc. (I don’t mean to say that he doesnot pray) as there is more to Islam than mere rituals. Islam is not just about rituals. Islam is also about values. And one of the most important values of Islam that Ko Mya Aye had practically shown all of us is to_

‘propagating good and

forbidding evil’.

‘propagating good and forbidding evil’ _

is not optional.

It is compulsory.

Islam makes it mandatory that we oppose evil.

We are asked to oppose evil with our hands.

Our Prophet (pbuh) has been asked by God:

“I have been ordered to dispense justice between you.”

“Whenever you judge between people, you should judge with (a sense of) justice” (4:58).

The Prophet has said:

“If any one of you comes across an evil,

he should try to stop it with his hand (using force),

if he is not in a position to stop it with his hand

then he should try to stop it by means of his tongue

(meaning he should speak against it).

If he is not even able to use his tongue

then he should at least condemn it in his heart.

This is the weakest degree of faith”

(Muslim).

“Co-operate with one another for virtue and heedfulness

and do not co-operate with one another

for the purpose of vice and aggression” (5:2).

This means that_

who perpetrates deeds of vice and aggression,

even if he is our closest relation or neighbour,

does not have the right to win our support

and help in the name of race, country, language or nationality.

I believe that Ko Mya Aye is a better Muslim than most of us who prays five times a day etc. because Rituals are not values. Rituals are merely a demonstration that you have values. It is pointless performing rituals if you lack values. Rituals are not important if you lack faith or values. Rituals are the end result of the values you hold.

Our prayers are between God and us.Whether we perform them or not is between God and us. It does not concern anyone else. The same goes for all other rituals as well.

But if we do not stand up for justice and fight against evil, oppression, persecution, etc., then it is no longer between God and us.

God can forgive us for not praying. (I don’t mean to say that we should not pray)

God can forgive us for the sins of not performing Haj, fasting etc.. (I don’t mean to say that we should not perform Haj, fasting etc.. ) I just wish to emphasize that doing good for the society, our country, Burma/Myanmar is MORE IMPORTANT DUTY FOR ALL OF US, BURMESE MUSLIMS.

But God will never forgive you for your sins against society.

By not opposing evil we have not sinned against God.

We have sinned against millions of fellow-Muslims and other humans.And you will have to seek forgiveness from all of them. God can’t forgive you. Burmese Muslims and other Burmese Citizens will have to do that.